JCVD (film)

Last updated

JCVD
JCVD.theatricalposter.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mabrouk el Mechri
Written byFrédéric Bénudis
Mabrouk el Mechri
Christophe Turpin
Produced bySidonie Dumas
Fiszman Marc
Patrick Quinet
Jani Thiltges
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Arlette Zylberberg
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
François Damiens
Zinedine Soualem
CinematographyPierre-Yves Bastard
Edited byKako Kelber
Music by Gast Waltzing
Production
companies
Distributed by Gaumont Distribution (France)
Peace Arch Entertainment (USA/Canada)
Release date
  • 4 June 2008 (2008-06-04)
Running time
96 minutes
CountriesBelgium
France
Luxembourg
LanguagesFrench
English
Budget$12 million [1]
Box office$2.3 million [2]

JCVD [3] is a 2008 crime drama film directed by French Tunisian film director Mabrouk el Mechri, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a semi-fictionalized version of himself, a down and out action star whose family and career are crumbling around him as he is caught in the middle of a post office heist in his hometown of Brussels, Belgium.

Contents

The film was screened on 4 June 2008 in Belgium and France, at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival (Midnight Madness), and at the Adelaide Film Festival on 20 February 2009. It was distributed by Peace Arch Entertainment from Toronto and opened in New York and select cities on 7 November 2008. The film was Van Damme's first movie to receive a wide theatrical release since Universal Soldier: The Return (1999). [4] Despite performing poorly at the box office, the film received general critical acclaim.

Plot

The film establishes Jean-Claude Van Damme playing himself as an out-of-luck actor. He is out of money; his agent cannot find him a decent production; and the judge in a custody battle is inclined to give custody of his daughter over to his ex-wife. His own daughter rejects him as a father. He returns to his childhood home of Schaerbeek in the Brussels capital region, Belgium, where he is still considered a hero.

After posing for pictures with clerks outside a video store, Van Damme goes into the post office across the street. A shot is fired inside the post office, and a police officer responds but is waved off by Van Damme at the window, which is then blocked. The officer calls for backup.

The narrative then shifts to Van Damme's point of view. He goes into the post office to receive a badly needed wire transfer but finds that the bank is being robbed. He is taken hostage along with the other customers. The police mistakenly identify Van Damme as the robber when he is forced by the actual perpetrators to move a cabinet to block the window. Van Damme finds himself acting as a hero to protect the hostages by engaging with the robbers about his career (one of them being a fan of his), as well as both a negotiator and presumed perpetrator. While speaking by phone as the ringleader of the robbers, Van Damme even goes so far as to demand $465,000 for the law firm handling his custody case. It is not clear if Van Damme demands the $465,000 out of self-interest, or out of a desire to appear as a genuine bank-robber to the police as he insists to the thieves, or perhaps both.

The narrative continues to shift to show the media circus that develops around the post office and video store, which the police use as a base of operations, enhanced by the involvement of the actor. Archive footage showing him talking in a typically weird and cryptic way during French language interviews are shown on TV, to Van Damme's dismay.

In a notable scene, Van Damme and the camera are lifted above the set, and he performs a six-minute single-take monologue, where he breaks the fourth wall, addressing the audience, or God, or both, with an emotional (but characteristically cryptic) monologue about his career, his multiple marriages, and his drug abuse, connecting his reflections with the current hostage situation where he is afraid of dying in such an absurd manner.

Van Damme then persuades one of the bank robbers to release the hostages. After this happens, a scuffle ensues and in the resulting conflict, the head robber is shot by his partner. The police, after hearing a gunshot, storm the building. The police shoot another one of the thieves, and Van Damme is held at gunpoint by the final one. Van Damme briefly imagines a scenario in which he takes down the robber with an action-movie style kick, whereupon everyone including the police and crowd cheer for him, but in reality, he just elbows him in the stomach and the police take him into custody.

Van Damme is arrested for extortion over the $465,000 and sentenced to one year in prison. The final scenes show him teaching martial arts to other inmates, then being visited by his mother and daughter.

Cast

Production

The concept for the film originated from a producer who had an agreement with Van Damme to play himself in a movie. The producer, knowing El Mechri was a Van Damme fan, asked him to review the original screenplay. The screenwriters had perceived Van Damme as merely a clown, but El Mechri felt that there was more to Van Damme than just what people knew from his big screen action-hero persona and TV antics.[ citation needed ]

El Mechri, who was influenced by Jean-Luc Godard, [5] offered to write a draft, and the producer asked if he would direct it as well. El Mechri agreed on the condition he could meet Van Damme first before starting the draft, so he would not waste six months on something that Van Damme might veto. El Mechri and Van Damme had dinner, where the idea of the bank heist and not knowing what has happened inside was pitched. Van Damme was thrilled with the concept. After watching El Mechri's film, Virgil , he immediately went to work with the French director.[ citation needed ]

El Mechri stated that about 70% of the film was scripted, and the other 30% was improvised from the actors. Most of the ad-libs came from Van Damme.[ citation needed ]

During Van Damme's six-minute, one-take monologue, he references past drug problems. In real life, Van Damme had troubles with cocaine during 1995, entering a month-long rehab program in 1996 but leaving after just one week.[ citation needed ] His acting in the movie, and that sequence in particular, were praised by critics as well as fellow actors like Nicolas Cage.

The Gaumont title sequence was altered for this film. The normal sequence has a silhouetted boy pulling a daisy from the ground, which floats to space to become the company logo. In this film, the boy is confronted by a silhouetted Van Damme, who attempts to take the daisy from him. When the boy resists, Van Damme does a roundhouse kick on him and kicks the daisy upwards, where it becomes the company logo. [6]

Reception

Critical response

Reviews for JCVD have been positive. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 83% based on 109 reviews with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "JCVD is a touching, fascinating piece, with Jean-Claude Van Damme confounding all with his heartfelt performance." [7] On Metacritic the film has a score of 64 based on reviews from 26 critics. [8]

Peter Bradshaw reviewed the film for The Guardian and called the monologue "a Godardian coup de cinéma", describing the film as "inter-textual and self-referential". [9]

Richard Corliss of Time magazine named Van Damme's performance in the film the second best of the year (after Heath Ledger's The Joker in The Dark Knight ), [10] having previously stated that Van Damme "deserves not a black belt, but an Oscar". [11] Roger Ebert gave the film 2.5 stars, noting that the movie "almost endearingly savages" Van Damme, who "says worse things about himself than critics would dream of saying, and the effect is shockingly truthful". [12]

Box office

Despite the general critical acclaim, the film performed poorly at the box office, grossing $2.3 million [13] against a budget of $12 million. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Claude Van Damme</span> Belgian actor and martial artist (born 1960)

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate school at the age of ten, which led Van Damme to hold the rank of 2nd-dan black belt in karate, and compete in several karate and kickboxing competitions. With the desire of becoming an actor, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport (1988).

<i>Bloodsport</i> (film) 1988 American martial arts film by Newt Arnold

Bloodsport is a 1988 American martial arts sports action film directed by Newt Arnold and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Leah Ayres, Forest Whitaker, Donald Gibb, Roy Chiao and Bolo Yeung. The film centers on Frank Dux, a United States Army Captain and ninjutsu practitioner, who competes in an underground full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong. Based on Dux's real-life claims the movie was marketed as a true story. It was one of Van Damme's first lead roles and showcased his abilities, launching his career as a mainstream action star.

<i>S.W.A.T.</i> (film) 2003 film directed by Clark Johnson

S.W.A.T. is a 2003 American action crime thriller film directed by Clark Johnson and written by David Ayer and David McKenna, with the story credited to Ron Mita and Jim McClain. Produced by Neal H. Moritz, it is based on the 1975 television series of the same name and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles, Jeremy Renner, Brian Van Holt and Olivier Martinez. The plot follows Hondo (Jackson) and his SWAT team as they are tasked to escort an imprisoned drug kingpin/international fugitive to prison after he offers a $100 million reward to anyone who can break him out of police custody.

<i>Street Fighter</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Steven E. de Souza

Street Fighter is a 1994 action film written and directed by Steven E. de Souza, based on the video game series of the same name produced by Capcom. It was one of two films released in 1994 specifically adapting Street Fighter II, following Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Distributed by Universal Pictures in the United States and Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International internationally, the film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia along with supporting performances by Byron Mann, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na Wen and Wes Studi. The adaptation focuses on the efforts by Colonel Guile to bring down General M. Bison (Julia), the military dictator and drug kingpin of Shadaloo City who aspires to conquer the world with an army of genetic supersoldiers, while enlisting the aid of street fighters Ryu (Mann) and Ken (Chapa) to infiltrate Bison's empire and help destroy it from within.

<i>Timecop</i> 1994 film by Peter Hyams

Timecop is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on Timecop, a story created by Richardson, written by Verheiden, and drawn by Ron Randall, which appeared in the anthology comic Dark Horse Comics, published by Dark Horse Comics. It is the first installment in the Timecop franchise.

<i>Hard Target</i> 1993 film by John Woo

Hard Target is a 1993 action film directed by Hong Kong film director John Woo in his U.S. debut. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, an out-of-work homeless Cajun merchant seaman and former United States Force Recon Marine who saves a young woman named Natasha Binder from a gang of thugs in New Orleans. Chance learns that Binder is searching for her missing father, and agrees to aid Binder in her search. They soon learn that Binder's father has died at the hands of hunt organisers Emil Fouchon and Pik van Cleef, a ruthless businessman and his right-hand mercenary, who arrange the hunting of homeless men as a form of recreational sport. The screenplay was written by Pfarrer and is based on the 1932 film adaptation of Richard Connell's 1924 short story "The Most Dangerous Game".

<i>Double Impact</i> 1991 American action film by Sheldon Lettich

Double Impact is a 1991 American action film written and directed by Sheldon Lettich, and written, produced by and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chad and Alex Wagner. The film marks Van Damme's third collaboration with director Sheldon Lettich and second collaboration with Bolo Yeung. Double Impact was released in the United States on August 9, 1991.

<i>Cyborg</i> (film) 1989 film by Albert Pyun

Cyborg is a 1989 American martial-arts cyberpunk film directed by Albert Pyun. Jean-Claude van Damme stars as Gibson Rickenbacker, a mercenary who battles a group of murderous marauders led by Fender Tremolo along the East coast of the United States in a post-apocalyptic future. It was followed by the sequels Cyborg 2 (1993) and Cyborg 3: The Recycler (1994).

<i>Replicant</i> (film) 2001 film by Ringo Lam

Replicant is a 2001 American science fiction action film directed by Ringo Lam and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Rooker. It is the second collaboration between Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam, and the third time that Van Damme has starred in a dual role. The film had a limited theatrical release in many European countries and was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on September 18, 2001.

<i>Universal Soldier</i> (1992 film) 1992 film by Roland Emmerich

Universal Soldier is a 1992 American military science-fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich, produced by Allen Shapiro, Craig Baumgarten, and Joel B. Michaels, and written by Richard Rothstein, Christopher Leitch, and Dean Devlin. The film tells the story of Luc Deveraux, portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme, a former U.S. Army soldier who was killed in the Vietnam War in 1969, and returned to life following a secret military project called the "Universal Soldier" program. However, he finds out about his past, though his memory was erased, and escapes alongside a young TV journalist. Along the way, they have to deal with the return of his archenemy, Sgt. Andrew Scott, who had lost his sanity in the Vietnam War, and became a psychotic megalomaniac, intent on killing him and leading the Universal Soldiers.

<i>Sudden Death</i> (1995 film) 1995 American film

Sudden Death is a 1995 American action-thriller film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Powers Boothe, Raymond J. Barry, and Dorian Harewood. The film pits a lone fire marshal against extortionists who hold unsuspecting NHL players and fans for ransom during game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, and set payment milestones to coincide with the game's progress. It was Hyams' second directorial collaboration with Van Damme, after Timecop (1994) and before Enemies Closer (2013).

<i>Lionheart</i> (1990 film) 1990 film directed by Sheldon Lettich

Lionheart is a 1990 American martial arts film directed by Sheldon Lettich, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Deborah Rennard, Harrison Page and Lisa Pelikan and Brian Thompson. It also features the acting debut of Ashley Johnson. Van Damme plays a French Foreign Legionnaire stationed in Africa, who must desert to the United States and enter the underground fighting circuit to raise money for his murdered brother's family.

<i>Maximum Risk</i> 1996 American film

Maximum Risk is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Hong Kong director Ringo Lam in his American directorial debut, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Natasha Henstridge.

<i>Legionnaire</i> (film) 1998 American film

Legionnaire is a 1998 American drama war film directed by Peter MacDonald and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a 1920s boxer who wins a fight after having been hired by gangsters to lose it, then flees to join the French Foreign Legion. The cast includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Daniel Caltagirone, Nicholas Farrell and Steven Berkoff. The film was filmed in Tangier and Ouarzazate, Morocco.

Mabrouk el Mechri is a French director, screenwriter, and actor.

<i>The Expendables</i> (2010 film) 2010 American action film by Sylvester Stallone

The Expendables is a 2010 American action film directed by Sylvester Stallone, who co-wrote it with David Callaham and also starred in the lead role. The film co-stars an ensemble cast of mostly action film actors consisting of Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis. The film was released in the United States on August 13, 2010. It is the first installment in The Expendables film series. This was Dolph Lundgren's first theatrically released film since 1995's cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic.

<i>Frenchy</i> (film) 2024 Thai film

Frenchy is an upcoming action drama written, produced, edited, and directed by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who also stars in the film as the main character Frenchy. The film also features two of his children, Kristopher Van Varenberg and Bianca Bree.

<i>Enemies Closer</i> 2013 film

Enemies Closer is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Tom Everett Scott, Orlando Jones and Linzey Cocker. In it, a former Navy SEAL is marked for death by the mourning brother of a comrade he left behind, only to have to team up with him when they both become targets of a deranged crime lord.

Jean-Claude Van Johnson is an American action comedy-drama television series starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and produced by Ridley Scott with his production studio Scott Free Productions and Amazon Studios. It premiered on August 19, 2016. On January 18, 2018, the series was cancelled after one season.

<i>Black Water</i> (2018 film) 2018 American action thriller film directed by Pasha Patriki

Black Water is an American action thriller film directed by Pasha Patriki. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in their fifth collaboration, specifically the second time they appear as on-screen allies. The film was released direct-to-video in the US on May 25, 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "JCVD (2008) - JPBox-Office". www.jpbox-office.com.
  2. ↑ "JCVD (2008)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb.com. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  3. ↑ The title is the initials of the main character, Jean-Claude van Damme.
  4. ↑ https://screenrant.com/jean-claude-van-damme-universal-soldier-movies-scott-adkins/
  5. ↑ Burr, Ty (6 September 2008). "Toronto, Day 2: Spike, Nick, Pitt, Zac, and Jean-Claude". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  6. ↑ Logo Archive (16 December 2011), Gaumont (JCVD variant) , retrieved 2 July 2017
  7. ↑ "JCVD (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  8. ↑ "JCVD". Metacritic.
  9. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (30 January 2009). "Film review: JCVD". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  10. ↑ Corliss, Richard (3 November 2008). "The Top 10 Everything of 2008: Top 10 Movie Performances". Time . Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  11. ↑ Corliss, Richard; Grossman, Lev; Ponewozik, James; Zoglin, Richard (13 November 2008). "Short List". Time . Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  12. ↑ Ebert, Roger (12 November 2008). "Existensial angst of the Muscles from Brussels". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 1 February 2022– via RogerEbert.com.
  13. ↑ "JCVD (2008)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb.com. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  14. ↑ "JCVD (2008) - JPBox-Office". www.jpbox-office.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.